City of Port Phillip Permit Guide

Tree Removal Permits
in City of Port Phillip

When you need a permit, what the application involves, and what the arborist report must contain — verified against the City of Port Phillip's own canopy tree and significant tree information pages on 2026-09-28. We prepare permit-ready arborist reports in-house to AS 4970:2025 and AS 4373-2007.

Request Permit Support 📞 1300 263 771
Verified2026-09-28
AQF L5Arborist Reports
$20MPublic Liability
$20M Insured & AQF Qualified
AS 4970 & AS 4373 Reports
In-House AQF Level 5
Permit-Ready Documentation

Source & verification. Every threshold on this page is quoted from the City of Port Phillip's own permit information: https://www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/planning-and-building/planning/canopy-trees and the Significant Tree Permit page at https://www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/planning-and-building/construction-permits/significant-tree-permit/. Verified 2026-09-28. Council thresholds change — the date on this page reflects when we last checked. If you're planning a job in the next few weeks, call us or check the source link before committing.

Overlays & Controls in Force

Which Tree Controls
Apply in Port Phillip?

The City of Port Phillip layers two separate controls over private trees: the statewide Clause 52.37 canopy tree rule (planning scheme) and the Council's own Community Amenity Local Law 2023 (significant trees). Both operate independently — a tree may need permission under one, both, or neither.

  • Clause 52.37 — Canopy Trees (statewide, applies to residential zones)
  • Community Amenity Local Law 2023, Clause 55 — Significant Trees on private land
  • Heritage Overlay tree controls (limited number of properties)
Clause 52.37 (Canopy Trees)

Victoria-Wide Canopy Tree Rule

Since 15 September 2025, Clause 52.37 (Amendment VC289) applies state-wide to all residential zones — including throughout the City of Port Phillip.

A canopy tree under Clause 52.37 is a tree with all three characteristics: a height of more than 5 metres above ground level; a trunk circumference of more than 0.5 metres, measured at 1.4 metres above ground level; and a canopy diameter of at least 4 metres. Within the City of Port Phillip, Clause 52.37 applies to properties in the General Residential, General Growth, Neighbourhood Residential or Mixed Use zone. A planning permit is required to remove, destroy or lop a canopy tree anywhere on a vacant lot, or where the tree is within 6 metres of the narrowest street frontage or 4.5 metres of the rear boundary. Where a permit is issued, it is typically conditional on the planting of replacement canopy trees.

Port Phillip-Specific Rules

Port Phillip Council's Own
Additional Requirements

On top of Clause 52.37, the City of Port Phillip enforces its own Significant Tree control through the Community Amenity Local Law 2023. This runs separately — a tree that isn't a "canopy tree" under Clause 52.37 can still be a "significant tree" under the Local Law.

A Significant Tree means a tree or palm on private land with a trunk circumference of 150 centimetres or greater measured 1 metre from its base. Multi-stemmed trees count if the combined circumference of the exterior stems is 150 centimetres or greater at that same 1-metre point. A permit under Clause 55 of the Local Law is required to prune or remove a Significant Tree.

In practice this means most mature street-facing trees in Port Phillip — Elwood, St Kilda, Albert Park, Port Melbourne, South Melbourne, Middle Park, Balaclava, Ripponlea — need a permit for anything beyond minor pruning, even if they aren't canopy trees under the statewide rule.

Exemptions

When You Don't Need a Permit

Genuine exemptions listed by the City of Port Phillip. If your situation is unclear, we recommend confirming with Council or with us before removing anything — retrospective enforcement can be expensive.

  • Trees on private land with a trunk circumference under 150 centimetres (measured 1 metre from the base) fall outside the Significant Tree Local Law.
  • Trees that are not canopy trees under Clause 52.37 (i.e. under 5 metres tall, under 0.5 metre trunk circumference at 1.4 metres, or under 4 metres canopy diameter) fall outside the statewide planning permit rule.
  • Immediate risk-of-injury or property-damage situations may qualify for exemption — Council must be notified. Confirm with Council's Statutory Planning team before removing anything on this basis.
Application Fee

What the Permit
Actually Costs

Under the Community Amenity Local Law 2023 (Significant Tree permit), the application fee is $170 to prune a significant tree (including palm dead-frond removal), or $290 to remove a significant tree. Clause 52.37 planning permit fees are set by the Victorian state fee schedule and vary with application complexity — call Council on (03) 9209 6777 for the current planning permit fee.

Arborist Report Requirements

What the Report Must Contain

The City of Port Phillip accepts a written arborist assessment of the tree's health and condition as part of the permit application. Reports must be prepared by a suitably qualified arborist — we recommend AQF Level 5, which is the qualification level Victorian councils recognise for arboricultural advice on planning matters. TLC's reports are written in-house by AQF Level 5 arborists to AS 4970:2025 and AS 4373-2007 — no third-party consultant, no scheduling gap between the site visit and the report delivery.

More on our arborist reports →
Local Context

What Else to Know
About Port Phillip

The City of Port Phillip covers Elwood, St Kilda, Albert Park, Middle Park, Port Melbourne, South Melbourne, Balaclava and Ripponlea — established inner-Melbourne suburbs with a high proportion of significant established trees on residential blocks and a strong local canopy target. This means a large share of Port Phillip tree work needs a permit, even for trees homeowners might not consider particularly large. Send us the address and we'll check both Clause 52.37 status and the Significant Tree Local Law threshold for your specific tree.

Local Arborist Services

Suburbs We Service in the City of Port Phillip

Dedicated arborist landing pages for our priority suburbs — same permit framework as covered above, plus local tree species and street knowledge for each area.

Arborist Elwood

Local arborist services in Elwood (City of Port Phillip). Same permit framework as covered above applies. Existing TLC clients in the area.

See our Elwood page →
Get In Touch

Port Phillip Permit
Support & Quotes

Send us your address and what you want to do. The TLC Team will confirm the overlay status on your property, quote the works, and prepare the arborist report the City of Port Phillip needs — all in-house, same business day for a written response.

— TLC Team · same-business-day response

Common Questions

Port Phillip Permit FAQs

Answers to what the City of Port Phillip property owners ask us most often.

When do I need a permit to remove a tree in the City of Port Phillip?

Two separate rules can apply. Under statewide Clause 52.37, a permit is required to remove, destroy or lop a canopy tree — height more than 5 metres, trunk circumference more than 0.5 metres at 1.4 metres above ground level, and canopy diameter at least 4 metres — anywhere on a vacant lot or within 6 metres of the narrowest street frontage or 4.5 metres of the rear boundary. Under the Community Amenity Local Law 2023 (Clause 55), a separate permit is required to prune or remove any tree or palm on private land with a trunk circumference of 150 centimetres or greater measured 1 metre from the base.

How much does a City of Port Phillip tree removal permit cost?

The Community Amenity Local Law 2023 Significant Tree permit is $170 to prune (or dead-frond a palm) and $290 to remove. Clause 52.37 planning permit fees are set by the Victorian state fee schedule and vary with application complexity — call Council on (03) 9209 6777 for the current planning permit fee. Both fees are payable to Council and are separate to our arborist report and tree works quotes.

Are dead trees exempt from permit requirements in the City of Port Phillip?

The Community Amenity Local Law provides for exemption in immediate risk-of-injury or property-damage scenarios, but Council must be notified. Dead trees aren't automatically exempt on their own — a tree that's dead but not an immediate risk still typically needs a permit. Confirm with Council's Statutory Planning team (03 9209 6777) before removing anything on the basis of tree condition.

What does the arborist report need to contain for a Port Phillip permit?

The City of Port Phillip requires a written arborist assessment of the tree's health and condition, prepared by a suitably qualified arborist. AQF Level 5 is the qualification level Victorian councils recognise for arboricultural advice on planning matters. TLC's reports are written in-house by AQF Level 5 arborists to AS 4970:2025 and AS 4373-2007 — no third-party consultant, no wait.

Can TLC apply for the permit on my behalf?

We prepare the arborist report the City of Port Phillip requires and can advise on the application, but the property owner or their agent lodges the permit with Council. For a Significant Tree Local Law permit, the application form is a Council PDF you sign and submit. For a Clause 52.37 planning permit, applications are lodged through Council's Statutory Planning process. We coordinate with your planning consultant, builder, or facilities manager if the tree work is part of a larger application.

📞 Call Now Get Free Quote